MY CONCEPT FOR: The Future of DIsney's Hollywood Studios: Muppets Land, Expanding Batuu and Indiana Jones?

 The Proposal and logical reasoning.

For months now fans of the parks have been hearing whispers of Rock N Roller Coaster being shut down or closed due to the loss of the license of Aerosmith's music. Many fans on countless sites and blogs have been saying also that Electric Mayhem would be the best optional replacement for the attraction, however you would then have a problem if the Muppets and Electric Mayhem took over  the opposite side of the park. Currently Disney’s Muppets attractions sit in an awkward place just between Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge and Star Tours and just to the corner of the park opposing ABC Courtyard,Baseline Taphouse and Sci-Fi Dine In. with plans to have Indiana Jones to replace Dinoland in Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park as well, this could prove an opportunity not only for Rock N Roller Coaster but also for the future of Hollywood Studios, which in its current state has become the second if not the most popular park in Walt Disney World in Florida. Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge as you already may know is my favorite land and I have repeatedly discussed my love of Galaxy’s Edge and the Galactic Star Cruiser, which I still hope will be brought back  following Tax Season in April of 2024.

My concept today is by moving Muppets to the other side of the park, perhaps in the area surrounding Rock N Roller Coaster along Animation Drive in the Hollywood Studios Backlot, you could Create a Muppets World which would allow you to expand Galaxy’s Edge From the Exit of Star Tours to Galaxy’s Edge’s Current entrance just beyond the Muppetvision 3D location where it stands today. By doing this Disney Imagineering would have the space to Expand Galaxy’s Edge and perhaps create something new for Star Wars Bounders and park goers along Cypress Drive, but more on that later. For now let us focus on my proposal for Muppet Land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

The concept.

Rock N Roller Coaster Featuring: The Electric Mayhem

To begin this would be a phased construction, the first phase would be the opening of Rock N Roller Coaster, rethemed to Electric Mayhem, with limited changes needed to be done to the Super Stretch Limo Coaster Vehicle which now will be tie dyed instead of Space Blue and the feature of Electric Mayhems Music and possibly Projection Technology(similar to Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind) or Mannequins(similar to Incredi-coaster) of the band Electric Mayhem within the current ride, adding additions to the ride rather than re-doing it in its entirety from launch. Adding scenes like Animal Trying to Eat The Giant Donut that is in one scene of the attraction while the other band members all appear doing something that fits their character within the new, but relatively the same attraction. Their voices are heard over their music as riders pass through the scenes on their way to the Electric Mayhem Concert.

The gift shop at the end wouldn’t change all that much either aside from the additions of Electric Mayhem Merch and dolls given that Animal is a fan favorite.

Muppet Vision 3D hits the Road

Following the Success of the Rock N Roller Coaster Opening Muppet Vision will remain opened while Imagineering Gets to work on their new home in the backlot of Rock N Roller Coaster along Animation Drive which will now have a connecting Gate from Showbiz Blvd. The Shutdown of Lightning McQueen Racer Academy will not be missed by park Fans as it is easily missable and guests wouldn't even know it was gone if it was. As such a good Marketing Strategy would be to leave non-Disney Personel in the dark about whats going on along Animation Drive behind Rock N Roller Coaster, until the new home of Muppet Vision 3D is constructed and at D23 Expo, during one of the Panels a video call is received from Muppet Vision 3D in hollywood studios where Kermit announces that they are moving from their current home in Hollywood Studios to a new Home however before he can finish Crazy Harry blows up the Muppet Vision Theater, not sure where to go or what to do the presenter will tell Kermit that a new studio has just opened up near G Force Records, at this very moment it will be announced muppet vision will reopen in the backlot area at its new theater as guest are informed of a new series of attractions coming to this side of the park.

Muppet Land

While construction begins on Muppet Vision 3D’s new home a second project will also begin, a new Pizza Rizzo’s, as well as a Muppet Labs Attraction as well as Eatery featuring my favorites from 2023’s Food and Wine Fesivals Menu: The Pickle Milk Shake and Peanut Butter and Jelly Wings, will also open.  The Miss Piggy Pageant show featuring  Miss Piggy, The Gonzo The Great Stunt Show and a Fozzy Bear Comedy Club will all be attraction within the new land as well as new Muppet Shops and meet and greet locations where guests can meet the muppets in puppet form. Following this lands opening the current area where Muppet Vision 3D, Pizzarizzo and Mama Melrose’s is located will be closed walled off while plans for Phase 2 begin.

Phase 2: Connecting Star Tours to Batuu

As many know I have deep love for Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge and foresee in the future Disney expanding Star Wars with new attractions in some sort of Capacity. However when constructing the immersive land known only as Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge It appears, the Imagineers didn’t take into account the lands crowds or have any idea how they would expand Galaxy’s Edge. by Moving Muppets to the other side of the Park, Disney would have an open space to Expand Batuu without breaking Immersion of Galaxy’s Edge and have a new way to expand immersion for guests entering this land. 

Star Tours Flight 1401: to Batuu?

Star Tours is one of my Favorite Attractions, since I was a Kid, I have been riding this ride and now that every ride is different, would it be to challenging for Imagineers to change the attraction so no matter the story guests would always land on Batuu at the end. My answer is no, but what becomes of planets like Hoth, Coruscant, Naboo, Home one or the return Star Tours scenarios that currently exist? My thought is Disney Imagineering redevelops these third acts into planets that can appear in act one or act 2 of the story and then to keep Galaxy’s timeline in order, all flights will start with villains from the First Order Era(unless the Era in Batuu were to change, for this scenario it remains a Sequel Era World). Meaning Guests would have less Options however would be able to Encounter Battles of the First order and Resistance rather than the cringe of Coruscant which is still the only planet set in the Clone Wars Era in the Star Tours Story. However what will be interesting about Star Tours this time around, guests will embark from Star Tours Station at Hollywood Studios and be able to travel to Batuu directly as, tatooine traders will become a part of Batuu, themed limitedly more to Batuu than tatooine, and a wall of sorts will triangulate as the new entrance to Batuu from Star Tours to the side of Hollywood Hideaway and then between Sci-Fi Dine in and ABC Comissary will aso be blocked off as Baseline Taphouse is removed entirely sent to the opposite side of the park near Tower of Terror and this entire location becomes a new part of Batuu, where Muppets currently exists.

Growing Batuu in the area behind Star Tours near Muppets Land

While the current are of Muppets isn’t a lot of Space to Add onto Batuu, it will provide Disney with a good opportunity to expand, the current location of Muppet Vision(which in this concept is moved to Animation Drive) will provide the opportunity for guests to have a new Star Wars attraction, the movement of Tap House will allow guests an adults only exclusive Cantina, and Mama Melrose and Pizza Rizzo will allow space for a new market place shops and a sit down restaurant that Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge is currently in desperate need of. The closed down Muppet Shops can become the Adventurer or Disguise Shop Experience I have read about in the book the Art of Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge’s and if Disney were to open up an experience like a Disguise shop, it should be open not only to children but also to the adults who want to play as much as the children do.

Bringing the Fans to Galaxy’s Edge, Adventure Groups and Exclusivity

Across Cypress Way (which is stationed just opposite of Galaxy’s Edge) sits the Parking Lot. While most guests come to Hollywood Studios as part of their Disney Vacation, there are a select few guests who make Galaxy’s Edge More Magical, who have come to Disney Bounded as Star Wars Characters Adventurers who aren’t always interested in the rest of the Park, only wanting to live out their star wars adventure. While this concept has never been thought of before, and I seem to be the only person who sees the potential of these die hard Star Wars fans, I believe putting an exclusive Batuu shop opposite the parking lot, area where these special Star Wars Adventurer guests will now enter from the parking lot directly into Batuu, rather than having them walk the entire park to get into Galaxy's edge, is a great idea. There will still be security, it will be for Batuu Bounders and Star Wars Cosplayers only and Disney will give them highly themed lanyards that distinct them from cast members as to not have hollywood studios Guests asking them “Do you Work Here” a million and one times. As such signs will be placed at all entrances to Batuu(Galaxy’s Edge) that not all people in Bounds or Cosplays are guests beyond this point, preventing liability. 

However a new entrance will be made for these guests for Star Tours, and this is to create the experience all children want. When I was a child i watched the pre-show where a child takes a picture of Chewbacca aboard Star Tours, this was an experience I personally always wanted, so what if guests dressed as Wookies and aliens were aboard Star Tours with the general population guests and guests could have this experience, that I only could imagine having as a child.

Phase 3: What to do with Indiana Jones?

At D23 Expo last year Disney announced the Idea of a South America Area at Disney’s Animal Kingdom to replace Dino Land USA. I for one am in full support of this concept if they can move Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular with it and make a minor Indiana Jones Land with the replacement of Dinosaur and this stunt show being moved to Disney’s Animal Kingdom from Hollywood Studios. The reason for this is once again to expand Batuu all the way to the front of the Park, giving it its own entrance with the general population but also to provide more space for new Star Wars Attractions and experiences. If this were to happen, Backlot Express would become a Star Wars Quick Service as well, and The stage featuring the indiana jones stunt spectacular currently could host a Star Wars themed Stunt Show, where Kylo Ren and Rey face off, as well as providing an evening Fireworks show set in star wars to rival that of Fantasmic, which does one show and reaches capacity fast, by providing two fireworks shows at DHS, Disney could draw in audiences of Star Wars Fans and Disney Fans to one park to celebrate their end of their day in new exciting ways. 

The only difficulty i see of doing this to Indiana Jones in DHS is Echo Lake and how close to the front of the park this would be getting and what is being taken away from the Classical Hollywood entryway into the park if Batuu were to expand all the way to the front of DHS.

Conclusion

I love Disney’s Hollywood Studios and I love Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge, and while Muppet Land and an Expansion of Galaxy’s Edge in the future is definitely in the Cards for Disney, who knows perhaps it could be more added including more of Cypress Drive than I originally anticipated or perhaps as mentioned in other Articles a brand new Star Wars Themed 5th gate is on the horizons beneath the twin suns of Tatooine, only time will tell.